BRICK – Mia Zdanowicz is part of something special at Georgian Court University.
The Brick Township High School senior has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on the Lions’ acrobatics and tumbling team, which will begin competition next year in the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association.
“It feels weird and new,” she said. “I am excited, though. It’s weird as the team will be in its first year and nobody asks how the program was. I am very excited to show people that we can show our skills at other places than football games. This is a new sport that other colleges are starting to add to their sports.”
The owner of a 4.0 grade point average, Zdanowicz said she originally planned to attend a junior college.
“I was going to go to Ocean County College,” she said, “but Georgian Court’s coach (former Red Bank Catholic and University of Oregon standout Sierra Garcia) reached out to me and it was intriguing.”
Zdanowicz cheered for the Green Dragons for four years during the fall and winter sports seasons. She performed as a side base, main base and tumbler during each season. She earned four varsity letters. She also earned three varsity letters in girls lacrosse, playing attack and midfielder.
She was a member of the school’s Unified sports team as a junior and senior. She won the Spirit Award, the Coaches Award, the Heart of a Dragon Award all four years and the Winter Academic Award all four years. She won the school’s Senior Superlative Award for displaying the most school spirit.
“She stuck out to me when she was on her high school cheerleading team,” Garcia said. “She showed hard work and leadership right off the bat. She is an athlete who will give it her all and be a selfless teammate. She has the mindset to never give up. She will be a huge asset to our team physically and mentally.”
While in the fifth grade, Zdanowicz began coaching as a volunteer with the Brick Dragons American Youth Cheerleading Special Needs Cheer team.
“I was the youngest demo in program history because they (coaches) saw my Dragon pride, spirit and passion when I was helping the young cheerleaders ages five through 14,” she said. “I love the feeling of coaching these athletes and working with them to make them better. Doing this, I use the tactics I’ve taught myself and others have taught me over my many years of cheerleading and tumbling.”
Zdanowicz will compete in base and tumbler for the Lions.
“With her background in coaching, I see Mia being a leader even as an incoming freshman,” Garcia said. “She is a strong base and tumbler. I know she will be a huge asset on the mat and I am excited to see her growth and success as an NCAA Division II student-athlete. Mia has the drive and determination to be her best along with the ability to have fun and truly enjoy the sport she is in. With our practice and lifting schedule, the team will be able to build the strength to perform the skills required for acrobatics and tumbling.”
Likewise, Zdanowicz said she has a deep respect for Garcia.
“I love her,” she said. “She is so sweet. She is amazing and talented and competed in acrobatics and tumbling at Oregon. She has helped me with everything that deals with this process.”
A 5-foot-4, 150-pounder, Zdanowicz comes from a talented family. Her dad, Lenny, is the head football coach at Brick Township High School. Her brother, Max, is in the United States Navy at the New River Air Station in North Carolina. Her mother, Carey, is a teacher at the Walnut Street Elementary School in Toms River. Brick cheerleading coaches Nicole Buell and Desiree DePoto have also guided Zdanowicz. An aunt, Kristen Zdanowicz, competed in gymnastics at Rutgers University.
“My mom has coached me for my whole life,” she said. “I thank my family for always supporting me and coming to all of my events no matter what. I received my aunt’s genes. My mom cheered at Toms River (High School) South. It’s a rivalry in our house when it’s Toms River South versus Brick week. My folks knew I would be a wild one. I did cartwheels when I was in class in kindergarten. My mom taught there and the staff would call on her to stop me.”
Zdanowicz said her brother and dad aided her with strength training.
“Max introduced me to the gym,” she said. “My dad shows us what to do in the gym and after that we are good.
“I have tumbled for my whole life and have taught myself everything I know,” she said. “I have taught myself back handsprings, back tucks, layouts, punch fronts and multiple back handsprings. I am working on other skills, but I have not perfected them yet, though.”
She thoroughly enjoys competing.
“I love tumbling,” she said. “I have been cheerleading for my whole life. I love flipping and entertaining. This is the best of both worlds as I get to compete in what I love to do. Since I could walk, I have tumbled. When I saw Brick’s cheerleaders tumble, I wanted to do that.”
Combined with the Brick Memorial Mustangs, Zdanowicz and Company won a competition last October. They won a national event in Florida last December and another event in Atlantic City in February. She is also involved in a kickball league for special needs children at her school.
“I work with these kids so that they have the chance to play a sport,” she said. “The children love to be able to set free and play a sport with their close friends. Being a part of that is a blessing. I love watching the impact I have on these children and I wouldn’t want to give my time to anything else.”
Zdanowicz said she has made several improvements during the past year.
“I have learned better eating habits and I have learned more about the gym and how the body functions so that I can be the best I can be when I go to the gym,” she said. “I go to the gym almost every day and that is a way for me to relax and relieve my stress. I go to the gym after my lacrosse games when I’m frustrated with either how the game went or when I am bored. I find joy in being able to work on myself and better myself for me.
“Going to the gym helps me in so many ways. I love being able to have that outlet when I need it. Going to the gym after a long day makes me feel accomplished and makes me feel relaxed. In the past year, I have learned that good things take time. Even going to the gym, you don’t immediately see results because again good things take time and time is key.”
Zdanowicz said she plans to study sports management at Georgian Court.
“I am not positive on what I want to do yet, but I know I want to be involved in sports, hopefully football,” she said. “I want to do this because ever since I was little I’ve always been interested in football as my dad is a head coach and I was a cheerleader (she cheered at her dad’s team’s games). I am always around football and sports. I love the atmosphere of the sports world and I want to continue to be a part of it.”
Zdanowicz has been on the Honor Roll for four years. She has been on the Distinguished Honor Roll for three years. She earned the Academic Winter Award for cheerleading for four years. She won the Fall Academic Award four years. She’s ranked 94th in a class of 348 students.
Garcia said she can’t wait for the season to start.
“I am very excited for this recruiting class to begin competing,” she said. “I have no doubt it will create a great foundation for the program for years to come. I have targeted a broad range of students who I believe will fit in with the culture of GCU. I am looking around the country for athletes who want to be an addition to our brand new program and make history. Just like most private NCAA Division II schools, each athlete is evaluated individually for potential academic, potential need-based and potential athletic awards, which can be stacked here.
“This is absolutely a dream come true. I’m so honored to be the first head coach at Georgian Court and I’d like to thank Mr. Sempkowski (Dan, the Lions’ athletics director) and the entire search committee for entrusting me to start the acrobatics and tumbling program. Georgian Court has a fantastic tradition in Division II that I am thankful to be a part of. We are in a great area surrounded by talent and I can’t wait to hit the ground running to bring future Lions to campus and introduce the GCU community to the sport.”
Garcia, 23, is passionate about her sport.
“I accepted this position because this is a sport I have grown to love,” she said. “I knew I would be a part of it for years to come. Being able to coach at a university 30 minutes from my hometown seemed like it was meant to be. I am grateful to be in this position and to have the chance to educate people about the sport and to grow it in New Jersey.”
Sempkowski said the school conducted an extensive search before choosing Garcia.
“After a nationwide search, Sierra was the clear standout from a number of outstanding candidates,” he said. “Her vision for the program aligned with ours and we are very excited to bring her to Georgian Court. Her accolades as a student-athlete speak for themselves, having competed at the highest NCAA level (Division I) and winning multiple championships. We also feel that as a New Jersey native she has a head start on where to find the best local talent and future Lions. This is a perfect fit and I’m looking forward to watching this program grow from the ground up under Sierra’s leadership.”
Garcia said her school will begin the interview process for an assistant coach in June and hopes to hire the coach by July.
“We are looking for someone who matches the values of Georgian Court and has experience with cheerleading, gymnastics or acrobatics and tumbling,” she said.
Garcia, a full time coach, said the all-female team will consist of 15-20 athletes.
Here is information regarding other team members and their potential positions : Rising sophomore Emily Miller, Butler High School, position, base, major, nursing; rising sophomore Kimberly Schadewald, Ocean County Vocational Technical School, position, base, major, dance; rising sophomore Katelyn Meyer, Manchester Township High School, positions, base and tumbler, major, nursing, and incoming freshman Anna Trombino, Central Regional High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, major, nursing.
Other Lions are incoming freshman Caroline Yacullo, Point Pleasant High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, major, nursing; incoming freshman Gianna Mirassol, Seneca High School, positions, top and tumbler, major, interdisciplinary studies, elementary education grades K-6 and teacher of students with disabilities endorsement; incoming freshman Alexis Luke, Bordentown Regional High School, position, base; rising junior Alyssa Almerigotti, Effingham County High School, position, base; incoming freshman Louanne Legregin, Freehold Township High School, positions, top and tumbler; incoming freshman Bianca Colao, Southern Regional High School, positions, top, base and tumbler; incoming freshman Faith Marie Robert, Freehold Township High School, positions, top, base and tumbler, and incoming freshman Aniyah Martin, Lake Forest High School (Del.), positions, top, base and tumbler.
The Lions will begin workouts and practices in September.
“Strength and conditioning training will consist of weight lifting and cardio,” Garcia said. “We will do Olympic lifting, position specific strengthening and cardio endurance to prepare for the season. Practices will consist of the basics of acrobatics and tumbling, tumbling drills, technique, competition info sessions and run throughs.”
Garcia said the Lions will showcase their skills in more than six competitions.
“My goals for this season are to build the culture of the program,” she said. “We want the girls to become one team. We want them to give 100 percent effort in all that we do on the mat and off the mat. Once we settle in as a team, we want to be able to show our skill level in each event.”
Garcia competed for Oregon’s Ducks from 2017-2021. She qualified each year for the NCAA Division I National Championships (there was no meet in 2020 because of COVID-19). She helped the Ducks win the national title in the synchronized pyramid in 2019.
Garcia won the NCATA Individual Events title in the synchronized pyramid in 2019 with a score of 9.825. She also competed in the inversion and open pyramid as a top. She graduated from Oregon with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education.
“Having just completed my time at Oregon, I know exactly what is required to compete at this level,” Garcia said. “I can relate to and connect with my athletes on a personal level. Given my experience, I want to be a key mentor and figure in their lives and make them better people inside and outside of athletics.”
Oregon coach Keenyn Won built the Ducks’ program from the ground up.
“I offer the program my personal experience as a student-athlete at Oregon,” Garcia said. “To have this experience and be able to implement everything I learned from U of O will make us a successful program with a family bond.”
The Marlboro native was a team captain at Red Bank Catholic where the Caseys captured state championships from 2014-2016. The Caseys have won a state-record 11 state titles.
“Each title was so special to us because of the sister bond of the team,” Garcia said. “We were all selfless, knowing which decisions would be best for the team to find success.”
Garcia was a level 2-8 coach at Epic Gymnastics in Wall Township where she was a floor specialist from May of 2021-October 2022. She coached athletes ages five through six, introducing them to the sport.
“We worked on basics and strengthening to be able to have them execute the skills within each routine,” she said. “Along with coaching young athletes, I also had the opportunity to work with older groups on the floor exercise. Focusing on the basics, technique and power that goes into tumbling allowed the athletes to execute their routines throughout the season. This prepared me to coach acrobatics and tumbling to athletes coming from different areas of athletics whether that is cheerleading, gymnastics, weightlifting and soccer, etcetera. I am able to teach athletes the basics and strengthening when entering a new sport similar to young athletes beginning their experience in gymnastics.”
NOTE: gculions.com contributed to this report.
